Gear finishing machine



N 1965 T. s. GATES ETAL GEAR FINISHING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 27, 1960 FIG. 6

INVENTO'RS THQMAS s. GATES KENNETH J. DAVIS MHUR a BAS OFF W 1 9 TTORNEYS NOV. 1965 T. s. GATES ETAL GEAR FINISHING MACHINE Filed Dec.

5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS X H Esfiv 0 MM. w A D M% SJ M SW R AEU wm HER K 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS THOMAS S.GATES KENNETH J.DAV|S ARTHUR W ATTORNEYS T. S. GATES ETAL Nov. 16, 1965 GEAR FINISHING MACHINE Filed Dec. 27, 1960 United States Patent 3,217,602 GEAR FKNISHING MACHINE Thomas S. Gates, Grosse Pointe Woods, and Kenneth J. Davis and Arthur I3. Bassoff, Detroit, Mich, assignors to National Breach & Machine Company, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Fiied Dec. 27, 1960, Ser. No. 78,382 6 Claims. (Cl. 9tl--1.6)

The present invention relates to a gear finishing machine and more particularly to a machine designed to finish gears by an operation which includes rolling them in mesh with a gear-like finishing tool, in which operation the axes of the gear and tool are usually crossed at an angle between three degrees and thirty degrees.

The two continuous motions, as contrasted with adjustments, which take place during the gear finishing cycle are of course the rotation of the gear and tool and the specific movement which provides the relative traverse between the gear and tool. Specifically, the relative traverse is provided by reciprocating a work support table on a fixed stationary bed. This arrangement is best designed to introduce minimum errors into the finished product.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide a gear finishing machine characterized by the extreme rigidity of parts and the introduction of relative motion between the parts during the gear finishing cycle in such a way as to minimize errors.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a gear finishing machine comprising a horizontal stationary bed, a work support for supporting a rotary work gear on said bed, means for supporting a gear finishing tool above said bed in position to engage the upper side of a work gear with the axes of said gear and tool horizontal, in combination with work traverse means for moving the work support a substantial distance horizontally to provide for ready loading of a work gear on the work support, followed by rapid traverse of the work support back to the position in which the work gear is supported for meshing engagement with the gear-like tool.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide, in a gear finishing machine of the character described, a frame, a slide movable on said frame, guide means interposed between said frame and slide, means acting between said frame and slide to effect substantial movement of said slide from a loading position to an operating zone, and means independent of said first means for effecting slow movement of said slide on said frame as a part of a gear finishing cycle.

More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide relative movement between a frame and slide as described in the preceding paragraph comprising a feed screw and nut assembly carried by and movable with said slide, engagement means on said frame including means for releasably engaging said screw and nut assembly, and additional means interconnected between said frame and slide operable to effect movement of said slide and said screw and nut assembly when said assembly is disengaged from said engagement means.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a machine as described in the preceding paragraph in which said engagement means comprises a releasable hook mechanism.

3,217,602 Patented Nov. 16, 1965 It is a further object of the present invention to pro vide a machine as described in the preceding paragraphs in which the additional means for effecting movement of the slide on the frame comprises a fluid, piston and cylinder assembly.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a machine as described in the preceding paragraphs in which the slide includes a work supporting headstock and tailstock and in which said headstock includes power means for effecting rotation of a work piece carried between said stocks.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a gear finishing machine comprising a horizontal bed, a work slide movable horizontally on said bed between a loading position and a working position, and further movable on said bed in said working position to provide limited traverse of said work slide during a gear finishing cycle, a tool column extending vertically adjacent one end of said bed, said column including separated support legs straddling the path of movement of said work support.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a gear finishing machine comprising a horizontal bed, a work slide movable horizontally on the bed, a column at one end of said bed comprising legs defining a tunnel into which said Work slide is movable.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a gear finishing machine constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation of the gear finishing machine.

FIGURE 2A is a rear elevation of the frame of the gear finishing machine.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the bed of the gear finishing machine.

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the main slide and table assembly.

FIGURE 5 is a plan view, partly in section, of the main slide and table assembly.

FIGURE 6 is a detail view of the hook mechanism.

FIGURE 7 is an end view of the bed showing the main slide traverse mechanism.

FIGURE 8 is a side View of the bed with parts broken away.

The gear finishing machine comprises a frame consisting of a main base 10 provided with horizontal, longitudinally extending Ways 12 and at one end including laterally extending column support portions 14.

At one end the frame includes the vertically extending column 16 which, as best seen in FIGURE 2, includes a pair of laterally spaced support legs 18 defining a relatively large open space or tunnel 19 there'between. The legs 18 straddle the Ways 12 on which the work support mechanism, later to be described, is movable.

Horizontally movable on the ways 12 is a main slide 20 on which is mounted a rocking or crowning table 22, the table being mounted for rocking movement about horizontal pivot means indicated at 24. The table 22 may be allowed to rock about the pivot mounting 24 as a result of horizontal traverse, if desired, or it may be 0 locked against rocking so as to produce gear teeth which are of uniform cross-section from end to end.

Mounted on the table 22 is a tailstock 26 and a power headstock 28, the stocks being adapted to support and drive a work gear in rotation.

Mounted for vertical movement on ways provided at the front of the column 16 is a tool slide 30, to the underside of which is secured a tool head 32 mounted for angular adjustment about a vertical axis. The tool slide is vertically movable by a hand wheel or alternatively, by power means elfective to move the slide in slow or rapid traverse as required in a complete gear finishing cycle. In FIGURE 1 the hand wheel for effecting vertical movement of the tool slide 30 is indicated at 34 and a motor 36 is provided which, through mechanism subsequently to be described, will effect slow or rapid traverse of the tool slide as required.

The detailed mechanism and operation will be subsequently described, but at this time it may be noted that a work cycle involves shifting the main slide to the left, as seen in FIGURE 1, to a position in which a work gear may be loaded between the headstock and tailstock without interference from the tool support. The machine may be designed to take care of relatively large and heavy gears, and by providing for substantial travel of the main slide to the left, a heavy work gear may be lowered by a crane or conveyor into position to be engaged by centers on the head and tail stocks without interference from the tool support mechanism.

After the work gear has been loaded between centers, the main slide and work table are rapidly traversed to the right to bring the work gear into position in the working zone. Thereafter, the tool support, which will of course have been previously adjusted as to crossed axes angle, is lowered into position to insure that its teeth mesh properly with the teeth of the work gear. The gear finishing cycle, as previously mentioned, involves rotation, traverse and feed. In the present case, rotation is imparted directly to the gear by the power headstock and the gear-like tool is rotated solely through its meshed engagement with the work gear. The relative traverse necessary to extend the finishing action of the tool from end to end of the teeth of the gear is accomplished by a relatively slow traverse of the main slide and work table on the ways 12 accompanied by appropriate continuous or timed intermittent vertical movement of the tool slide assembly. Upon termination of the gear finishing cycle, the tool slide assembly is rapidly traversed upwardly to a clearance position and the main slide and work table assembly is rapidly traversed to the left, as seen in FIGURE 1, to the loading position where the finished gear is removed and replaced by a work gear to be finished.

MAIN SLIDE AND TABLE TRAVERSE MECHANISM In order to accomplish the required movements of the main slide 20 and the work table 22 carried thereby, means are provided for effecting rapid traverse of the main slide for a substantial distance to move the work support between loading position and operating position, and independent means are provided for effecting slow controlled traverse of the main slide and work support during the finishing cycle. The mechanism for effecting the relatively rapid traverse between loading and working position comprises a fluid cylinder 40 connected by brackets 42 to the base 10. Within the cylinder is a piston (not shown) connected to a piston rod 44, best seen in FIGURE 4. The end of the piston rod is connected by a coupling pin 46 to a feed screw 48 which engages a nut 50 connected to the main slide 20. The other end of the feed screw is rotatably connected to a traverse slide 52 which is mounted for reciprocation on the horizontal ways 12 provided on the bed 10.

Means are provided for engaging the traverse slide 52 when the main slide and work support have been moved into operating position. This means comprises a hook mechanism indicated generally at 54 in FIGURE 4 and shown in detail in FIGURE 9. Referring to FIGURE 6, the hook 56 is pivoted to a stud 58 and is provided with a pin 60 movable in a slot 62 in a spring pressed plunger 64 which biases the hook toward the latched position illustrated in FIGURE 6. The hook mechanism is rigidly affixed to the base by mounting bracket 66, which also carries a limited switch 68 having a plunger 70 engageable by an adjustable abutment 72 carried at one end of the plunger 64.

Affixed to the traverse slide 52 by bracket '73 is a depending latch element or keeper 74 having a camming surface 76 adapted to move the hook 56 to release position as the main slide 20 a proaches operating position. Thereafter, the hook snaps over the latch element '74 and locks the traverse slide 52in a fixed position during a gear finishing cycle.

During the gear finishing cycle, means are provided for rotating feed screw 48, and since the traverse slide 52 at this time is fixed by virtue of the hook mechanism, rotation of the feed screw will result in horizontal traverse of the nut 50 and hence of the main slide 20 and the work support table 22.

Rotation of the feed screw 48 during the gear finishing cycle is controlled by suitable switches and switch dogs, as conventional in the art, and normally a plurality of back and forth strokes in reciprocation are provided in each gear finishing operation.

The mechanism which produces rotation of the feed screw 48 comprises a motor 80 (FIGURE 3) having a sheave 82 connected by belts 84 to a sheave 86, best seen in FIGURE 10. The sheave 86 is connected by a shaft 88 to a pinion 90 (FIGURE 11) in mesh with a large gear 92 connected to a shaft 94 carrying a worm 96. The worm in turn meshes with a worm gear 98 carried by a shaft 100 which also carries a gear 102. Gear 102 is in mesh with a gear 104 which drives a gear 106, the latter being connected to the feed screw 48, as best seen in FIGURE 6. Accordingly, energization of the motor in either direction while the traverse slide 52 is locked to the base, will result in a corresponding traverse of the main slide 20 on the base.

Inasmuch as gear 106 moves with the main slide 20 and traverse slide 52, special means are required to preserve its meshed engagement with gear 104, which is mounted in a fixed position in the base. For this purpose, gear 104 is elongated to a length approximating the maximum travel provided for the main slide between loading and operating position. A bracket 108 provides support for the end of gear 104, as best seen in FIGURE 11.

CROWNING MECHANISM Reference has previously been made to effecting rocking movement of the work support table 22 on the main slide 20 to crown the teeth of the work gear. In the present machine this is accomplished by providing a bracket 110 adjacent one end of the rocking table 22, the bracket 110 being provided with a follower pin 112 slidable in a slot 114 provided in an adjustable cam 116 carried by a bracket 118 rigidly connected to the traverse slide 52.

Accordingly, when the traverse slide is fixed to the base by engagement of the hook 56, the cam 116 is also in a fixed position on the base and traverse of the main slide 20 and work table 22 results in movement of the follower pin 112 longitudinally of the slot 114. If the slot is inclined, a rocking movement in timed relation to traverse of course results.

If the crowning operation is not desired, the slot 114 may be set horizontally or the cam mechanism disconnected and the table 22 locked in fixed position. Nor mally, the fixed locking position of the table is such that the axis of the work gear is horizontal. This position may be provided by engaging locking pins 120, as best seen in FIGURE 7, which extend through bushings 1.22

carried by rocking table 22 and bushings 124 carried by the main slide 20.

Provision is also made for fixing the table in inclined position so that tapered gears may be finished or a taper produced in finished gear teeth. The taper mechanism includes adjustable threaded pins 126 engaging locking abutments 128 on the base. The pins are vertically movable in rotatable driving members 130, these being provided with teeth for engagement by an adjusting worm 132. The pins 126 engage in correspondingly threaded openings in plates 134. Obviously, by extending one of the pins 126 downwardly and adjusting the other one upwardly, a selected inclination may be imparted to the table 22.

The drawings and the foregoing specification constitute a description of the improved gear finishing machine in such full, clear, concise and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, the scope of which is indicated by the appended claims.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. A gear finishing machine comprising a horizontally elongated base, a column at one end of said base having support legs at opposite sides of said base defining a tunnel, a tool slide mounted for vertical movement on said column, rotary tool support means on said tool slide, a work slide mounted on said base for horizontal travel between a loading position and a Working zone, rotary work support means on said work slide including means movable into said tunnel upon movement of said work support into working position, the axes of rotation of said rotary supports occupying substantially horizontal planes and the axis of rotation of said work support being substantially parallel to the direction of movement of said work slide between loading position and the working zone, means for driving said tool support in rotation, traverse mechanism connected between said base and work slide to move said work slide in slow traverse strokes while said work slide is in said working zone, said traverse mechanism comprising a traverse slide movable on said base in parallelism to said work slide, a traverse screw and nut connected between said traverse slide and said work slide, means for relatively rotating said screw and nut, and latch means selectively operable to couple said traverse slide to said base.

2. A gear finishing machine comprising a horizontally elongated base, a column at one end of said base having support legs at opposite sides of said base defining a tunnel, a tool slide mounted for vertical movement on said column, rotary tool support means on said tool slide, a work slide mounted on said base for horizontal travel between a loading position and a working zone, rotary work support means on said work slide including means movable into said tunnel upon movement of said work support into working position, the axes of rotation of said rotary supports occupying substantially horizontal planes and the axis of rotation of said work support be ing substantially parallel to the direction of movement of said work slide between loading position and the working zone, means for driving said tool support in rotation, traverse mechanism connected between said base and work slide to move said work slide in slow traverse strokes while said work slide is in said working zone, said traverse mechanism comprising a traverse slide movable on said base in parallelism to said work slide, a traverse screw and nut connected between said traverse slide and said work slide, means for relatively rotating said screw and nut, latch means selectively operable to couple said traverse slide to said base, and rapid traverse mechanism connected between said base and work slide and operable to move said work slide between the working zone and loading position when said traverse slide is unlatched from said base, said traverse screw and nut connecting said traverse slide to said work slide for movement therewith between the working zone and loading position.

3. A machine as defined in claim 2 in which said rapid traverse mechanism comprises a fluid piston and cylinder device. I

4. A gear finishing machine comprising a horizontally elongated base, a column at one end of said base having support legs at opposite sides of said base defining a tunnel, a tool slide mounted for vertical movement on said column, rotary tool support means on said tool slide, a work slide mounted on said base for horizontal travel between a loading position and a working zone, a rocking table on said work slide, rotary work support means on said rocking table including means movable into said tunnel upon movement of said work support into working position, the axes of rotation of said rotary supports occupying substantially horizontal planes and the axis of rotation of said work support beingsubstantially parallel to the direction of movement of said work slide between loading position and the working zone, means for driving said tool support in rotation, traverse mechanism connected between said base and work slide to move said work slide in slow traverse strokes while said work slide is in said working zone, said traverse mechanism comprising a traverse slide movable on said base in parallelism to said work slide, a traverse screw and nut connected between said traverse slide and said work slide, means for relatively rotating said screw and nut, latch means selectively operable to couple said traverse slide to said base, rapid traverse mechanism connected between said base and work slide and operable to move said work slide between the working zone and loading position when said traverse slide is unlatched from said base, said traverse screw and nut connecting said traverse slide to said work slide for movement therewith between the working zone and loading position, crowning mechanism connected between said rocking table and said traverse slide comprising a cam and cam follower operable upon movement of said work slide and rocking table relative to said traverse slide to rock said table on said work slide in timed relation to movement of said work slide on said base.

5. A gear finishing machine comprising a horizontally elongated base, a column at one end of said base, a tool slide mounted on said column above said base, rotary tool support means on said tool slide, a work slide mounted on said base for horizontal travel between a loading position and a working zone, rotary work support means on said rocking table, the axes of rotation of said rotary supports occupying substantially horizontal planes and the axis of rotation of said work support being substantially parallel to the direction of movement of said work slide between loading position and the working zone, means for driving said tool support in rotation, traverse mechanism connected between said base and work slide to move said work slide in slow traverse strokes while said work slide is in said working zone, said traverse mechanism comprising a traverse slide movable on said base in parallelism to said work slide, a traverse screw and nut connected between said traverse slide and said work slide, means for relatively rotating said screw and nut, latch means selectively operable to couple said traverse slide to said base, rapid traverse mechanism connected between said base and work slide and operable to move said work slide between the working zone and loading position when said traverse slide is unlatched from said base, said traverse screw and nut connecting said traverse slide to said work slide for movement therewith between the working zone and loading position, crowning mechanism connected between said rocking table and said traverse slide comprising a cam and cam follower operable upon movement of said work slide and rocking table relative to said traverse slide to rock said table on said work slide in timed relation to movement of said work slide on said base.

6. A machine as defined in claim 5 in which said rapid 7 8 traverse mechanism comprises a fluid piston and cylinder 2,660,932 12/1953 Kemper et a1. 9021 device. 2,968,998 1/1961 Praeg 901.6 2,972,936 2/1961 Hirsch 90-21 References Cited by the Examiner 3,013,285 12/ 1961 Arengo 1()-139 UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 FOREIGN PATENTS 2,157,981 5/1939 Drumrnond 901.6 1066836 59 Germany 2,245,558 6/1941 Johnson 90*16 791,016 2/1958 Great Britain. 2,320,672 6/1943 Stein 5146 2,393,696 1/1946 Kraut et a1- 2 ANDREW R. JUHASZ, Primary Examiner. 2,542,569 2/1951 Praeg 901.6 10

2,576,023 11/1951 LaROsee WILLIAM W. DYER, JR., LEON PEAR, Examiners. 

1. A GEAR FINISHING MACHINE COMPRISING A HORIZONTALLY ELONGATED BASE, A COLUMN AT ONE END OF SAID BASE HAVING SUPPORT LEGS AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID BASE DEFINING A TUNNEL, A TOOL SLIDE MOUNTED FOR VERTICAL MOVEMENT ON SAID COLUMN, ROTARY TOOL SUPPORT MEANS ON SAID TOOL SLIDE, A WORK SLIDE MOUNTED ON SAID BASE FOR HORIZONTAL TRAVEL BETWEEN A LOADING POSITION AND A WORKING ZONE, ROTARY WORK SUPPORT MEANS ON SAID WORK SLIDE INCLUDING MEANS MOVABLE INTO SAID TUNNEL UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID WORK SUPPORT INTO WORKING POSITION, THE AXES OF ROTATION OF SAID ROTARY SUPPORTS OCCUPYING SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL PLANES AND THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF SAID WORK SUPPORT BEING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF SAID WORK SLIDE BETWEEN LOADING POSITION AND THE WORKING ZONE, MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID TOOL SUPPORT IN ROTATION, 